


League of Angels

by Janie94



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angels, Fallen Angels, M/M, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2018-08-17 06:24:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8133631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94
Summary: Since the end of the Great War many angels have fallen into a century long slumber, waiting to awaken in the right human vessel.When Thomas finds out that he is harboring the soul of an angel inside of him, he is sent to their guild to learn how to be prepared for the return of the Brotherhood of Darkness, four fallen seraphs whose powers are legendary.Thomas is determined to become a strong warrior, willing to risk his own life for the greater good.But will he still be able to put his duty first when there is another life at stake? Someone for whom he has feelings that no angel should be capable of experiencing...





	1. The Awakening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nigaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nigaki/gifts).



> You're probably thinking, *Another story? Is that girl nuts?!"  
> The answer is: Yes, definitely. :D  
> I've barely been home for more than an hour from a three day trip... :D
> 
> Nigaki, I don't know if you remember this, but during writing 'Dance With the Devil', I mentioned a new multi-chaptered Müllendowski fic I wanted to write. Well, this is it. All the others were not really planned and they're keeping me more than busy, but during our five hour long bus drive my mind began to wander and I came up with a storyline for this one here.  
> You mentioned you didn't continue reading 'Let the Right One In' because you don't like love triangles, so I figured I'd return to this idea because there's not going to be a love triangle here and I wanted to proof to myself that I can write a compelling 10k+ story without adding a third wheel. ;)
> 
> This is just the prologue, so no Thomas and Robert yet. One of them is going to make his entry in the second chapter though. ;)

**League of Angels**

 

**Chapter 1:**  
**The Awakening**

Contrary to popular belief angels _do_ sleep. They are capable of functioning without sleep for two weeks at most, but every healthy angel tries to get some every three or four days. It’s the state in which they are most vulnerable. When they drop their shields and let their minds float to recharge their batteries. Many of the young angels are afraid of being attacked during this state, either physically or mentally. But Manuel was so old that he had come to cherish these rare moments of utter peace.

_Drop_.

His conscious flared in excitement as he felt the essence of a powerful angel manifesting in the distance. Somewhere in this world an angel had begun to awaken.

Manuel had experienced it a thousand times in his long lifetime. But this time there was something different about it. This angel’s soul was more powerful than the ones he had felt until now. He knew instantly that this was no ordinary angel but a seraph. One of the old ones, from a time long forgotten in the minds of most. One of the originals. Like Manuel himself.

_Drop. Drop._

Manuel railed back when the energies of two new souls hit him. His mind was still sore from the first one and the new ones rubbed over his conscious like sandpaper. Both souls were even more powerful than the first, yet the three of them were connected by a loose bond. It was most likely the reason why the three of them had awakened simultaneously. Three souls, one more powerful than the other. Three seraphs, waiting to arise from their millennia-long slumber.

But there was something amiss.

The three souls were dimming down again, like a fire running out of fuel. Their presence still was still lingering though and Manuel’s nature reached out for them instinctively. But the closer he got, the warier he became. Their souls and the vibes of energy they were giving off were dark and violent. Eventually Manuel stopped, unable to proceed. It took him a rather long time to realize that it was fear holding him back, an emotion he could not remember feeling for a very, very long time.

He was glad when his mind rose back to the surface and he was finally opening his eyes to the corporal world.

The first thing he saw was the small figure of Philipp who was watching him knowingly.

“Had a bad dream?”

“We don’t dream,” Manuel argued stiffly despite knowing that Philipp was joking. Even after knowing him for so long now, it was strange to realize that Philipp – despite having been the first seraph to awaken – was the most human of their kind. And somehow he managed to not make it look like the weakness most angels thought it was. Manuel tried to be more open towards this habit of Philipp, after all he wasn’t as arrogant as to believe that his intelligence could rival that of the Angel of Knowledge.

Sometimes it was hard to believe how much power this small human body contained. Manuel could still remember Philipp’s original vessel from the time before the Great War. A huge wiry body with a face full of wrinkles and gray stripes of hair at the sides of his head, large grey wings unfolding from his back; an appearance far more fitting for the seraph.

His new vessel was the exact opposite. A small body with an innocent boyish face and short brown hair that looked like it didn’t even have an idea of the concept of grey. The only features that indicated the power inside of him were those grey wings that looked too big on his small frame and most importantly his calm dark brown eyes. Whenever Manuel met them, he felt like a child all of a sudden. They were so deep that it was not hard to imagine that Philipp might be holding the answers to the whole universe in there. Which was entirely possible. Manuel had yet to learn the limits to Philipp’s knowledge after all.

“Three seraphs are about to rise,” Manuel said, fully aware of how ridiculous that sounded. Usually one seraph awoke every two or three centuries. But if there was someone who was going to believe him, it was Philipp.

“I know,” the angel said and it was one of the rare times that those two little words didn’t annoy Manuel. Because of course Philipp knew, it was in his nature to know those kinds of things.

“Their souls were filled with a darkness I haven’t seen in forever.” Manuel hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was wise to voice his suspicions prematurely. He was the leader of the guild; the things he said were taken for facts. Yet if there was someone he could ask for advice, it was the angel standing in front of him right now.

“I fear that it is the Brotherhood of Darkness. Their return is long overdue.”

“You’re right,” Philipp answered calmly. “Given the bond they forged in their past life, it is quite fitting that they awoke at the same time.”

Unease filled Manuel’s heart again. He forced himself to ask further. “The Brotherhood of Darkness consisted of four angels, yet I saw only three souls awakening. What about the fourth?”

Philipps hummed in agreement before answering him. “Their leader is still sleeping. Fate seems to be on our side this time.”

Manuel wondered if this is another one of Philipp’s jokes. If yes, it was a cruel one. “Fate is part of the brotherhood. It can never be on our side.”

“It is part of the brotherhood, yes. And it is always going to be.”

Generally Manuel considered Philipp his best friend, if there even was such a thing as friendship for angels. Moments like these made him wonder though. “You are supposed to help me instead of speaking in riddles.”

Philipps shrugged, but he looked like he was honestly sorry. “Knowledge is never given freely.”

“You can’t tread in muddy waters forever. Eventually there will come a time when you have to decide which side you’re on.”

Philipp met his eyes with genuine warmth. “You know which side I’m on. It’s one of the few things you shouldn’t even be asking me to confirm.”

He turned around and walked away, the long light grey feathers of his wings flared up in anger.

Manuel watched him go silently. His own wings dropped a few inches in disappointment. Philipp was right; their friendship had been one of the things to carry over from their past life. He should never doubt it.

He made a silent note to apologize to Philipp later. Now duty was calling though.

“Arjen, Franck?”

He hadn’t even raised his voice, but his two guards appeared at his side nevertheless.

Many guild members had criticized their leader’s decision to entrust his safety to two ordinary angels rather than other seraphs, but Manuel had never regretted it. They were two of the few angels who had survived the Great War without falling to sleep and they had been looking out for him when his soul was still trapped inside this human vessel, an ignorant man that never really understood why two angels had deemed him worthy of their friendship.

He shook the memory off and faced his two guards who were awaiting his orders.

“I want to talk to every single human that is brought to our guild from now on. They are to be questioned by me before taking part in our rituals.”

Franck nodded with a bow of his head and moved back, but Arjen stayed. His wings were folded behind his back, a sign of calmness, but he looked like he wanted to say something.

“Speak your mind, Arjen,” Manuel encouraged him.

“What are you planning to do? There is no way to tell whose angel’s soul resides in a human.”

“You’re right. But sometimes I can tell if the soul is one of us or one of the fallen. If it is one of the latter, we should kill the human before it is too late.”

His words felt heavy on his tongue and of course it hadn’t escaped Arjen’s attention.

“And you think you can do that? Kill an innocent human? Not all fallen souls are seraphs, most of them are ordinary demons.”

“I know,” Manuel replied and tried to hold off the panic he felt at the mere idea of killing all those vulnerable humans.

Franck returned to Arjen’s side, his dark brown wings brushing lightly over Arjen’s light brown ones. “You are our leader, so we support whatever choice you make. But you shouldn’t forget why people love you so much.”

Manuel bit back the urge to correct Franck. Angels didn’t love. Love was a human concept that could not be applied to angels. But he got what Franck meant.

“And why is that?”

Franck smiled and it was amazing how it softens his hard features. “You value every single life. Even that of the demons.”

That smile carried over to Arjen. “You’re the Angel of Life. Don’t twist your nature, at least not for humans who might be innocent.”

Their words were like a balm to Manuel, but he needed to keep the bigger picture in mind. “If I don’t kill them, the Brotherhood of Darkness will return and bring another war upon us."

Arjen’s smile faded slightly. “We knew this would happen eventually. We can’t run from this battle forever, we need to stand our ground and fight.”

“Our chances of winning would be slim,” Manuel argued.

It was Franck who answered him. “You told Philipp that only three of them are returning, right?” At Manuel’s nod he continued. “Let them return. They are strong, but they are only three. Even with all the demons behind them, they won’t be able to defeat us. Not as long as their strongest force is still missing.”

Manuel liked the idea. It meant he wouldn’t have to kill innocents. “But the Angel of Death will still be out there.”

“One problem at a time. We can worry about him after defeating his henchmen.”

Manuel contemplated it for a moment. It was indeed the best solution. “I still want to see every new human arriving here. I want to know who I should keep tabs on.”

Both angels accepted his request with a slight bow of their heads. Then they left him alone with his thoughts.


	2. A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prologue doesn't count as a chapter, so you get an early update for this story... ;)

**Chapter 2:  
A New Beginning**

Most people had an epic story of how they had first discovered the angel inside of them. Some had fallen from high places and instead of hitting the ground, their fall had been miraculously slowed down.  Some had gotten into a fight when suddenly balls of energy had begun to form in their hands. Others had been attacked by demons when they had started to gleam like a beacon. Those were the stories you would be glad to tell your family one day.

But of course Thomas didn’t get to have this moment of pride. Because what happened to him wasn’t epic but utterly ridiculous.

He was just taking a long warm shower after an exhausting day and had begun to soap his back when he first felt it. His fingers brushed over a slight bump on his spine and he winced at the pain that the light touch caused. Confused he did it again, sure that he had just imagined it, but the bump was still there and it still hurt.

He dropped the soap and got out of the shower hastily, almost slipping on the tides of the floor. In front of the mirror he took a deep breath before turning around. He craned his head to get a glimpse of himself in the mirror and he let out a surprised yelp. The middle of his back, right between his shoulder blades, was red as though he had tried to scrub his own skin off.  There were two slight bumps in the centre of the abused skin at each side of his spine.

Thomas stared at his reflection for a long time. He knew what this was, of course he did, but he was struggling to believe it. Everyone dreamt of harbouring an angel’s soul inside of him, but Thomas had never believed he could be a chosen one.

That night he could barely sleep. He wondered how his life was going to change now. Of course he would have to join the guild, attend their training sessions and live there with the other angels. But as long as it didn’t interfere with his duties, he should still be able to spend time with his human friends and family. Well, provided that there was an ordinary angel’s soul inside of him. Because even after his transformation he would still be the same person. If it was a seraph though, he would never be the same Thomas again. He didn’t know how exactly it worked but according to the stories the seraphs, the rarest and most powerful angels to ever exist in Arádor, had managed to seal their conscious and memories in their souls. Once they awakened, the only human thing about them was their vessel. Their personality was gone though, replaced by the seraph’s. That concept was beyond frightening. But seraphs were so seldom that this shouldn’t be a problem. The Great War had taken place a few millennia ago, yet up to now only a handful of seraphs had awoken. Thomas knew about only two of them since they were living not very far away. The Angel of Knowledge came to his village twice a week though no one actually knew why. Most suspected that it was his vessel’s former home, but Thomas doubted that. First of all he had been the first seraph to return, so all of the human’s relatives had long turned to dust. Second he was a _seraph_ , so there was nothing left of the human Philipp that would justify this kind of sentiment.

The other seraph he knew or at least had seen from afar was the Angel of Life. He was the leader of the angels’ guild and known in every part of Arádor. Whenever he came to a human village, he was greeted by celebratory songs like a victorious general returning from battle.

Supposedly angels loved the sound of music. Thomas remembered first meeting the Angel of Knowledge when he had only been a small child, a four year old boy too young to understand the concept of reverence. He had been so awestruck by the large grey wings that he had desperately needed to touch them. The seraph hadn’t been mad as far as he could remember yet Thomas’s mother had apologized over and over. Only later had he learned that angel wings were very sensitive outside of battles and he could have got in serious trouble for touching them without permission.

After that he hadn’t really talked to the seraph, because humans were not supposed to talk with high-ranking angels. But Thomas was curious whether the Angel of Knowledge would still recognize him despite the 24 years that had passed since that incident. It was said that angels were not capable of forgetting. Or forgiving. Which was the main reason why Thomas was a bit nervous because he had definitely crossed a line at the time and he wasn’t sure if the fact that he had just been a child counted as an excuse for these creatures. After all the angels were born the way they were, they didn’t grow or evolve like other living things.

The next morning Thomas went to visit their local healer Joachim Löw, an older man with black hair and a few stripes of grey at the sides. He was usually very calm to the point that he seemed reserved, but when he inspected Thomas’ back, he gave the young man a grim look.

“You’re the second case today.”

Thomas was sure he had just misheard the healer. “Wait, two angels in one day? You can’t be serious.”

“I have a hard time believing it as well. The two of you are the first angels ever in our village and I don’t think it is coincidence that you’ve awakened simultaneously. But I’m not an expert on angels.” Joachim stood up and handed Thomas a folded piece of paper. “Philipp is nearby anyway, so I will arrange for you two to be picked up. You can wait for him outside.”

Thomas had known he would have to leave his home, but this was happening way too fast for him. “I still need to pack my stuff and say goodbye to my family.”

Joachim gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. There’s no way to tell if there is a light or dark angel resting inside of you, that’s why you need to be taken into Philipp’s custody as soon as possible.”

“Because if it’s a dark angel, I could be dangerous,” Thomas concluded and tried not to be offended.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re light or dark, angels are dangerous either way,” Joachim responded without malice.

Thomas swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait outside then.”

He left with the piece of paper which likely included a quick overview of his personal information, so the Angel Guild could start setting up his new life.

The hallway was almost empty save for a few merchants and a young boy around the age of 20 to 25 standing next to a statue, looking utterly lost. When Thomas saw the paper clutched in the boy’s hand, he knew this one had to be the other angel.

He walked over to the boy with a friendly smile. “Hey, angel boy!”

The guy jerked his head in surprise, wide blue eyes focusing on Thomas who offersedhis hand. “I’m Thomas Müller. And please don’t look at me like that, we’re practically in the same boat.”

The boy took his hand hesitantly. “Joshua. Joshua Kimmich. Are you the angel who’s going to pick me up?”

Thomas laughed at that. “No, I’m just an apprentice as well. Or whatever they call the new angels. You should have been able to tell by my lack of fluffy wings.”

Joshua blushed and dropped his head. “Right, sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Me too. Yesterday I hadn’t even dreamed of being a chosen one and now I’m already leaving my home. All of this is going so fast.”

They both sat down on a bench next to the statue showcasing one of the most important Healer Angels and wait.

Thomas had seen Joshua a few times before, but they didn’t really know each other, he hadn’t even known the boy’s name up to now. All he knew was that Joshua belonged to a noble family and these people didn’t associate with someone like Thomas.

“Your parents must be so proud that their son is the vessel of an angel,” Thomas suggested.

To his surprise Joshua responded with a bitter grimace. “Oh yes, I bet they’ve already left to visit our relatives and brag about it.”

“And you don’t want that?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that I want my parents to be proud of me for something that I have achieved, not some stupid angel that inhabits my body.”

Thomas stared at him dumbfounded. And here he had been thinking all kids from rich families were arrogant pricks…

Joshua turned to him with a curious look. “What about you? Your family must be proud as well.”

“I don’t know,” Thomas admitted. “I didn’t tell them that I discovered I was growing wings, so they don’t know about it yet.”

Joshua’s eyes widened. “Hold on, you found out about your angel because you growing actual wings? That is so cool.”

Thomas frowned. “You think it’s cool? Others discover it by using supernatural powers. That’s way more badass than those two little bumps on my back.”

He wasn’t even sure if Joshua had heard the first part. The younger one’s eyes were shining with excitement. “Can I see them? Please?”

“Not here,” Thomas said with a cautious look at the few people passing by. “Once we’re at the guild where it’s nothing unusual, okay?”

Joshua looked a bit disappointed but nodded. “Of course.”

They were interrupted by a murmur going through the crowd and for a brief moment Thomas feared someone had overheard them – he didn’t want any additional attention – but no one was looking at them.

A man was striding towards them, his small body appearing a lot larger by the gigantic grey wings behind his back. Even for angel standards, they were big. Even though they were folded in order not to take up too much room in the small hallway, the people had to press themselves against the walls, so that the angel could pass them. The angel looked exactly like Thomas remembered.

Philipp walked over to them with a friendly smile. “You must be Joshua and Thomas.”

Both of them could only nod. They were too awestruck to form words.

“I’m Philipp, the Angel of Knowledge. Your healer told me what happened to you and I agreed to pick you up.” He let his gaze drift over the crowd that had formed around them. “I know you must have a lot of questions, but I think it is wiser to take this conversation somewhere more private. So I recommend we continue this after we have arrived at the guild.”

He motioned for them to follow him and they exited the building, various pairs of eyes following them with unhidden admiration.

But according to Thomas’ father it took three days by horse to reach the guild. Not that Thomas had one of his own anyway. “How are Joshua and I supposed to get there? We don’t have wings like you.”

He shouldn’t have let himself get fooled by Philipp’s small vessel. Angels were much stronger than humans after all, so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise when Philipp approached them until he was standing between Thomas and Joshua. Just like so many years ago Thomas felt the desire to run his hand through the long feathers, but this time he ignored it while Philipp’s left arm was coming around his waist, the other one around Joshua’s.

Thomas flinched in fear when suddenly Philipp’s wings unfolded – holy shit, they were so big! – and with a few flaps that audibly cut the air Philipp lifted them off the ground.

Thomas let out an unmanly shriek when the ground disappeared from underneath his feet and Philipp lifted them higher and higher. Then the angel’s wings went from clapping simply up and down in order to gain height to making more expansive motions to fly forward.

Thomas had seen angels fly before so he knew that Philipp was flying on a lower level than usual. It was so high that in a matter of seconds Thomas was shivering from the cold. He could see that Joshua wasn’t doing much better; he was tightening his grip on the angel and burying his head in the crook of Philipp’s neck in search of warmth.

After a few minutes Thomas had to shut his eyes because they were watering from the speed with which they were flying and his fingers had become numb from the coolness. Just when Thomas thought he was going to freeze to death, Philipp slowed down and after a few seconds they landed softly on the ground.

Thomas’s teeth were still chattering as he struggled to make his body let go of Philipp who gave him and Joshua a sympathetic look. “Sorry about that.”

“S-so this is the g-guild?” Joshua managed to ask and when Philipp nodded, Thomas finally turned his head to look around. His mouth dropped open in astonishment. They were standing on a platform at the edge of a cliff with a magnificent view on a white city. Most houses seemed to be built with sandstone while the larger buildings were apparently built with marble. Everything looked so pompous and large just like in the stories. When Thomas turned his back to the town underneath them, he got why Philipp had decided to land up here.

Right in front of him, carved into the side of the mountain, was a building that looked like a big castle, built from white and red marble.

A few angels were walking by, each one giving Philipp a respectful nod and the two humans curious glances, but no one stopped so apparently it was a regular occurrence that Philipp showed up with strangers in the heart of the guild, the academy that taught angels how to become warriors, healers or whatever their destiny was.

Thomas’s attention was drawn to the only angel directly approaching them, a tall man around his age – scratch that, an angel with the _vessel_ of someone around his age – with an athletic body and short dark brown hair that was slightly curled. The breathtaking beauty of his human body would already be enough to make even the most skilled sculptor go green with envy, but then there were also his wings. They were slightly unfolded so Thomas was able to admire their structure; long anthracite-coloured feathers that were neatly lined up as though they had recently been combed – if there even was such a thing for angels – and one large white point in the middle of each wing.

“Wow,” Joshua breathed and Thomas had to agree. This angel was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon.

Philipp chuckled amusedly. “May I introduce an old friend of mine? Mats, the Angel of Justice.” He gestured towards the two humans. “These are Joshua and Thomas. As you can see they are feeling a bit unwell after their first flight, so they should get some rest first.”

Mats frowned. “You know that humans have weaker bodies than us. Why didn’t you travel with human means?”

“You know that I’m not a good rider,” Philipp replied. “Besides I was in a hurry.”

Mats raised an eyebrow. “I had no idea the word ‘hurry’ even exists in your vocabulary.”

“Manuel requested my presence,” Philipp stated as though that explained everything.

A teasing grin appeared on Mats’ face. “And of course you obey to his wishes right away.”

Philipp blinked twice and Thomas could see his façade crumbling as his lips twisted upwards into a little smile. “He is our leader, of course I need to obey him.” “Why do I have the feeling that you’re deliberately missing my point?” Mats asked amusedly.

“Why do I have the feeling that Manuel is wrong about me being the angel showcasing the most human traits?” Philipp retorted.

“I just like teasing you.”

“Which is a human trait.”

Mats’s grin turned into a warm smile. “Thank you for the compliment.”

Philipp nodded before walking away, leaving the two humans alone with Mats.

He eyed at them worried. “You look like you’re about to faint on the spot. Allow me to help you.”

He stepped forward and Thomas flinched in surprise when the angel’s wings came around him and Joshua and he felt his body filling with a warmth that could not come from those feathers only. He wondered if Mats was a healer though he found that hard to believe considering ‘Angel of Justice’ sounded more like a warrior.

Thomas began to feel sleepy all of a sudden and had just enough time to see Mats catching Joshua’s body with one arm before his own eyelids became too heavy and he gave in to the darkness…


	3. The First Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't explain how I had suddenly wrote a whole, new chapter for a story that I was put on hold for twenty minutes.  
> It was not planned at all and technically I still don't have the time two write such a long story, but my muse has never been very cooperative.  
> This Story has mostly gone unnoticed - or unncommented - by my readers until now, therefore I don't expect things to be any different this time. But seriously, if you want me continue, then please say something and I can assure you that chapter four won't take another year and a half. All I need is for a few people to care about this story, so please let me know your thoughts.
> 
> On a side note, I edited the previous two chapters from present tense to past tense. I have my reasons. ;-)

 

 

**Chapter 3:**  
**The First Flight**

When Thomas eventually awoke, it was to the sound of birds chirping in the background and the soft rays of the morning sun tickling his face. He buried his nose in the pillow, unwilling to stand up already until an amused chuckle made him realize that he was not alone.

He opened his eyes, blinking the sleep out of them and focusing on the figure standing at his bedside. It was a tall man with golden hair and kind blue eyes, his wings a soft cream. “Good morning, Thomas.”

“Good morning” Thomas retorted hesitantly, taking in the long white robe which the angel was wearing. As far as he could tell, there was no armour hidden underneath and no weapon to be seen, which meant… “You’re a healer, aren’t you?”

The angel’s smile widened and he nodded. “You’re right, I’m the head healer in this city. My name is Benedikt.”

“It’s nice to meet you Benedikt,” Thomas replied before taking in his surroundings. He was lying in a large bed in what would presumably be his room and one look out of the high window next to the nightstand confirmed that they were in one of the high towers. Thomas noticed that the room had a pleasant temperature and there was no wind blowing in even though none of the two high windows had glass panes. “How come it’s so warm in the room?”

“Angelic magic,” Benedikt replied nonchalantly. “Down in the vault underneath the city there is a large magic crystal that is under Philipp’s power. It serves as the main protection of the city and is also responsible for the warm climate even though we’re technically up in the clouds.”

He gestured for Thomas to take a look outside and Thomas curiously got up from the bed to do that. The sight indeed took his breath away. When he had stood at the gates of the guild, he had only looked down at the beautiful city underneath them but up here from the tower, he could see beyond the isle on which the city was built. The sky was so clear that he there was no end to the horizon and Thomas could only see the bright sun, a few clouds and then endless blue. “This is where I will be living?” he asked in awe, all of this too surreal to believe just yet. Only yesterday he had been living in a small house all alone, worrying about his harvest and now he was an actual angel living with hundreds of his kind up in the sky?

Benedikt stepped closer towards him, the knowing smile on his face indicating that he was used to this kind of reaction from newcomers. “Yes, Thomas. This is your new home now.”

Thomas let his gaze drift over the city, his attention drawn to every angel that was flying by as he tried to memorize them. Belatedly a though hit him. “Where is Joshua?”

“He woke up an hour ago and after I checked him over, I released him. I guess Manuel is showing him around.” He walked back to the bed. “I need to check you over as well, so please lie down here.”

Thomas obeyed and he watched with interest as the angel raised one hand, not quite touching him. There was a soft white light emanating from his open palm and he slowly moved the hand from Thomas head down to his toes, always careful not to touch him. Still Thomas felt his whole body tingle and it took him a lot of effort to stay unmoving.

Benedikt dropped his head with a satisfied expression. “Seems like you’re perfectly fine. I was afraid you would have caught a cold from the flight but it seems like your body has already transitioned more to that of an angel than we have anticipated. Your healer mentioned in his report that you are growing wings on your back?” When Thomas nodded he added in a friendly voice. “Please allow me to see them, we can’t afford anything to wrong with the most important part of an angel’s anatomy.”

Thomas took off the soft white shirt someone had put him in during his slumber and then shifted until he was lying on his stomach, presenting his back to Benedikt. The tingling returned, indicating that Benedikt was using his magic to check Thomas’s over like he had done before but this time it made Thomas wince, probably because his back was still sore.

The angel seemed to have noticed this as well because he spoke soothing the moment after. “It looks like they are doing all right, but to make sure I will need to touch them. Alright?”

“Yeah, sure,” Thomas replied and a moment later sharp pain shot down his spine when he felt the healer’s hands on his bumps. He ground his teeth together to keep quiet and allow Benedikt to do this work. The angel probed the bumps carefully before eventually letting go, taking the bandages he had already prepared on the nightstand and applying some kind of herbal salve to it.

Thomas momentarily forgot about his pain as he watched what Benedikt was doing with curiosity. “This looks so old school. Can’t you just use your magic to heal me?”

“Magic only works with mundane wounds,” Benedikt explained patiently. “Wounds inflicted by angelic means – either by their magic or weapons – can only be healed in what you see as an old-fashioned way, otherwise there wouldn’t be any use for us healers. And your wings contain a lot of magic as well, so wounds inflicted by them can also cause this kind of trouble.”

Thomas’s reply was cut off by cold fingers touching his bumps again and he let out a soft sigh at the welcome coolness of the salve. “This feels heavenly.”

Benedikt didn’t reply and when Thomas turned his head to the side, he could see a slight blush colouring the angel’s cheeks. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not at all!” Benedikt affirmed a bit too fast and his blush darkened from rosy to red. “It’s just that wings are the most sensitive part of angels.”

That was not exactly news to Thomas. “So I’ve heard.”

However Benedikt shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. Touching another angel’s wings outside of battles is strictly prohibited because it is seen as a very intimate gesture. Yours are only hurting now because they have yet to grow out but since they have, you’ll respond rather… awkwardly to touching.”

Thomas was rather surprised to hear that and now he felt even worse for having touched Philipp’s wings without his explicit permission. “I thought angels don’t love.”

His words seemed to hit deep because Benedikt’s expression became melancholic all of a sudden. “We are not allowed to love. To love means to be afraid of losing. And fear leads to hurt. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t feel anything.”

“That sounds rather sad,” Thomas said.

Benedikt shrugged. “Things have started to change since the Great War. Back then every kind of emotion was strictly punished but nowadays we are allowed to feel. Friendship, concern, sympathy. All of these things are even encouraged as long as they don’t cloud our judgement. Love and hate tend to do these things, that’s why they are not allowed for us.”

Thomas let that news sink in, allowing Benedikt to finish his work in silence. Living a life without love seemed hard but he had to admit that he could see the point. Angels were foremost warriors and they could not afford to get distracted during a life and death battle.

He thanked the healer once he was done and announced he would leave Thomas alone for now. Thomas was unable to go back to sleep, used to sleeping on his back and he wasn’t sure if he would undo Benedikt’s work by turning around. So after a while he got up and walked back to the one of the windows, letting his gaze drift over the guild. He still had trouble believing that all of this was real and that he would not wake up from this dream.

He was so caught up in his musing that the large winged creature heading for him took him by total surprised and he flinched in fear when all of a sudden dark wings were blocking his vision and a familiar face stared back at him. “Can I come in, Thomas?”

Thomas hurried to make way, watching in fascination as Mats gracefully landed on the tiles of the floor. It made sense now why all windows were so large and why they had no glass in it. Thomas coughed awkwardly. “You know, my room has a door.”

“That would have required me walking up all the stairs by foot,” Mats protested amused. “You will understand why I prefer to fly once you are able to do the same.”

The thought made Thomas feel rather wistful and he was suddenly filled by the yearning to fly as well. “How long will it take until I can do that?”

“Depends,” Mats responded before rounding Thomas, his hand hovering over the bandages but not touching them. Knowing the reason why Mats refused to touch the spot even through the layer of bandages made Thomas tense up embarrassed but he didn’t say anything.

The tingling of magic spread through his body again but it was gone after a short moment as Mats dropped his hand back to the side. “You are only at the beginning of that stage. I assume it will take at least one, perhaps even two months.”

“Oh,” was all Thomas could respond to that, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.

Mats looked sympathetic. “You know, I could give you a taste of what it is like to fly.”

Thomas was reminded of the last time someone had grabbed him for a quick flight. “No, thanks. The last time with Philipp was far from pleasant.”

Mats let out an amused chuckle. “No, nothing like that. Transporting two persons from Earth to the City in the Sky is just practical, I was talking about actually feeling free.”

Thomas bit his lip. “If it’s no problem, then I would love to fly with you.”

Mats stepped closer and gently pushed Thomas towards the edge. “Alright, just let yourself fall forward. I will catch you.”

Thomas stared down, realizing there had to be at least three hundred feet to the ground. “You can’t be serious!”

“How do you think birds learn to fly? If they don’t jump of their own, their parents kick them out of the nest.”

Thomas took a step back from the edge, flinching when his back collided with Mats’ chest and he realized there was no way back. “But contrary to hatchlings I don’t have wings yet, so I can’t fly.”

Mats’s gaze softened. “I know that you’re afraid, Thomas. But you need to learn how to be courageous in such situations. Or do you think running away will save you in battle?”

“No, of course not,” Thomas replied slowly. He understood Mats’s point but it was still a lot to trust someone he barely knew with his life. “If you don’t catch me, I will declare war on you, I swear.”

His words were intended as a joke, but this time it was Mats who flinched as though he had been slapped, his eyes widening before they darkened. “Of course I will. I don’t make a habit of killing my students on their first day.”

“Students?” Thomas repeated surprised.

Mats grinned smugly. “There are several things newly born angels must learn and I have the honour of teaching you how to fight with a weapon.”

That answered Thomas’ earlier question whether Mats was a warrior or a healer, though he had already expected the same from the Angel of Justice. Knowing that Mats was a teacher here and this was most likely a test, made it a lot easier for Thomas to overcome his fear. He straightened and took a deep breath before eventually falling forward, his feet leaving the ground.

It must have all happened in the space of merely three or four seconds but to Thomas it felt much longer. His eyes were wide open as he saw the ground coming closer scarily fast but Mats had been right, there was a freedom to flying – or in this case falling. He felt incredibly light and his world narrowed down to the fall. His eyes were watering while the wind was lashing against his body as though it desperately wanted to save him.

Just when Thomas thought that this was it, a large shadow fell above him and suddenly there were strong arms around his waist. Thomas clamped his own limbs around them with a strangled shriek and a moment later he was no longer falling, two large anthracite wings clapping down beside him and changing the direction.

All fear was momentarily forgotten when Thomas could see the ground becoming smaller again, several angels having stopped in their daily business to watch them as Mats took them higher again.

“Spread your arms.” Mats demanded gently and without hesitating Thomas did, letting go of the angel and trusting him not to let him fall again. An excited laugh made its way up Thomas’s throat as he floated through the air with his arms spread wide, only Mats’ grip at his hips reminding him that this was not his own doing.

“This is amazing!” he cried out excitedly and he didn’t have to turn around to know that Mats was rather pleased with himself.

“I knew you would like it. But I’m afraid we have to get down again, not everyone is as pleased with my idea as you are.”

As Mats changed the direction again, Thomas followed his gaze and indeed, there was an angel in the crowd that seemed not exactly happy with the events. He was slightly smaller than Thomas with light brown hair and bright green-brown eyes that were currently blazing angrily at Mats. His wings were relatively small – or rather lean – compared to those of other angels and their colour was a pale grey.

Thomas was so caught up in staring at the handsome angel that their landing took him by surprise and he stumbled when his feet hit the ground, only Mats’s eyes hand at his waist stopping him from falling.

“Careful, Thomas,” the Angel of Justice said with a hint of worry. “The first few times flying is bound to mess with your balance.”

“I’m fine,” Thomas reassured him quickly but he fell silent when he saw the angel with the grey wings step forward, hard eyes still settled on Mats.

“How many times do I have to remind you that I’m the angel who teaches our new members how to fly?”

Mats gave him an innocent look, only the slight twitching at the corner of his mouth betraying his amusement. “But I didn’t teach Thomas how to fly, did I? I merely gave him a taste of what is to come.”

The stranger glared at him for a moment longer before giving up with a exasperated sigh, his expression softening when he turned to Thomas. “I hope you’re alright, Thomas. I can imagine that this must have been a scary experience for you.”

“No, it was amazing to be honest.” Thomas intervened quickly, not wanting Mats to get into trouble for taking him on this flight.

The Angel of Justice shot him a grateful look before gesturing towards the smaller one. “Thomas, this is the Angel of Earth. And no, he is not usually that uptight.”

He smiled good-naturedly at said angel to lessen the sting of his words and the Angel of Earth returned it quickly before extending his hand to Thomas. “I go by the name Miroslav.”

Thomas was about to grip his hand but Miroslav shook his head. “You’re an angel now, Thomas. It’s time you learn how to greet like an angel.” He grasped Thomas’s forearm tightly, waiting until the latter had caught on and did the same. Thomas gasped at the strange tingling that spread through his body at the contact but Miroslav had let go before it could become uncomfortable. “This gesture gives you the opportunity to guess the power of your counterpart, but you should not greet someone you don’t trust like this because it makes you vulnerable for this moment.”

Thomas nodded to show that he had understood and he flexed his fingers, trying to shake off the tingling from Miroslav’s power. The seraph had already turned back to Mats though. “I know your antiques, Mats, and you never do things without ulterior motive. So why him?”

Mats’s eyes settled on Thomas thoughtfully. “Because he is different. It is no accident that his transformation is going so fast and he’s already growing wings. I could feel the strength of his magic when I checked his wings, Miro. His soul is not familiar to me but nevertheless he could be a stepping stone in our upcoming war.”

Thomas felt cold chills run down his spine, even more so when the eyes of their spectators landed on him, staring at him as though he had grown a second head.

Miroslav didn’t respond right away, considering Mats’s words thoughtfully. “I agree with you that he is strong and perhaps you are right in your assumption. But this will be Thomas’s decision alone. You should not pave that way for him before he has had the chance of choosing his own destiny.”

Mats’s gaze darkened again and Thomas was reminded of their conversation earlier in the tower. Once again he had the feeling that the words had cut the dark-haired angel deep.

“That’s the thing with destiny, it chooses you and not the other way around.”

A wary look entered Miroslav’s eyes. “You are biased, Mats. You shouldn’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. You of all angels need to be above this the most.”

Mats looked like he wanted to protest but apparently realizing that this was no conversation for other persons’ ears, he snapped his mouth shut.

Miroslav gave him a sympathetic look before turning his attention back to Thomas. “You should return to your room now. Your friend will have returned, I assume and I would not advise to keep Manuel waiting.”

Thomas nodded and he hurriedly left the two seraphs, his good mood souring when he realized he would have to walk up all the steps of the tower to his room by foot.

“Why can’t those damn wings hurry up?” he complained to himself as soon as he was out of earshot and he was about to take the first step when a voice stopped him.

“This was really cool!”

Thomas looked back over his shoulder to find a man standing behind him. Considering his lack of wings, he must be relatively new as well but contrary to Thomas he was dressed in what must be training clothes, a short white tunic that ended above his knees with a large black belt around his hips. The man had tanned skin and short brown hair with the kindest eyes Thomas had ever seen.

“Thank you,” Thomas responded impatiently. “But I wasn’t doing that much, it was mostly Mats doing the flying.”

The man nodded, his smile not wavering in the slightest. “I know. But Mats seems to have taken a liking to you rather quickly which is odd for him.”

Thomas frowned. Mats had seemed like a decent guy, much less stiff than Thomas had imagined most angels to be. “I can’t say anything bad about him.”

The man blushed. “No, that’s not what I was trying to say. Mats is a great man and warrior and actually he is my favourite teacher. But it usually takes time for him to open up to new people.”

Thomas was not sure how to respond to that as it was opposite from the Mats he had come to new. Then again he could be wrong with his first impression or perhaps Mats was only so nice to him because he thought that Thomas was powerful. Fortunately the man interrupted his musing by stepping forward, reaching out his hand. “Oh, I haven’t even introduced myself, how impolite of me. I’m Thiago.”

Thomas clasped the smaller one’s arm in the same manner Miroslav had shown him a few minutes ago. “Thomas. Nice meeting you.”

“Do you mind if I accompany you upstairs?” Thiago asked him sheepishly and suddenly Thomas realized that he had no idea how exactly to get to his room. He had woken up in his bed and Mats had obviously taken the shortcut out the window.

“Absolutely not. To be honest I don’t even know yet where my room is.”

“Oh, that should be easy!” Thiago exclaimed and motioned for him to follow. “You and Joshua are the only new ones today and I know the rooms of all other angels in the tower, so your room must be either number 25 or 32. I saw Benedikt prepare them both yesterday.”

Thomas followed Thiago a step behind, a deep sense of relief flooding him at realizing that angels were not always the majestic creatures he had come to know from the stories. As far as he could tell from the events of the last two days they were even human in some ways.

The thought was rather comforting and Thomas had to smile to himself when he focused on Thiago’s excited chattering in front of him. It seemed like he had already made a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Any form of feedback is highly appreciated. :)


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